Government breaks promise to maintain ban on bee-harming pesticide

Farmers relieved' as chemical sanctioned for emergency use, despite EU-wide ban backed by UK

A pesticide believed to kill bees has been authorised for use in England despite an EU-wide ban two years ago and an explicit government pledge to keep the restrictions.

Following lobbying from the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and British Sugar, a product containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam was sanctioned for emergency use on sugar beet seeds this year because of the threat posed by a virus.